Taiwan is New Zealand’s 10th largest overseas market, with more than $883 million worth of goods exported to the nation of 23 million in 2013.*

“New Zealand exports a lot of agricultural commodities to Taiwan and they export a lot of electrical goods here. To make that trade easier, we need to ensure regulators in both countries understand each other’s accreditation systems. That’s what this new arrangement is all about,” says Dr Richards.

“We already have a Mutual Recognition Agreement with Taiwan from 1997 which means we accept accreditation reports from them and vice versa. However, this latest signing goes much deeper than that and will bring increased benefits to the two countries.”

Dr Richards says the aim is to engage more with regulators and work closely with them to take advantage of the significant economic benefits accreditation brings to New Zealand and Taiwanese trade.

“Using cross-country accreditation provides cost-effective solutions for regulators. It means more robust systems for checking goods and it minimises liability for all parties.”

About IANZ: IANZ is New Zealand’s national authority for the accreditation of laboratories, inspection bodies and radiology practices. It accredits laboratories in all sectors, including medical testing, dairy testing, meat testing, drinking water testing, as well as mechanical and physical testing. It also accredits inspection bodies for engineering safety, food safety, and fire protection activities, as well as Building Consent Authority accreditation.